MLA Conference Report #16

From Eileen Anselment of the Silver Bay Public Library:

The theme of the 2011 MLA Conference in Duluth was "Libraries: Superior Values for Life". Just glancing at the schedule, anyone could see that libraries truly are a life-long value. From infants to elders, students to leaders, readers to authors and others, libraries are free and open to all...from past, present and hopefully, well into the future.

With so many offerings at this year's conference, my two coworkers and I were planning and re-planning our selections right up until we walked into our respective conference rooms.

Having a renewed interest in children and young adult books because of changes in my own family, I wanted to know how many of the forty titles presented in 60 minutes I would find interesting and exciting enough to want to include in my personal library or in the public library of the small town where I work. I noted the titles I found most interesting and exciting for young readers. Titles like: Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust; How to Survive Anything; Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Of the 40 titles , there were less than 5 I could resist either reading or purchasing. Maybe it was the enthusiasm and joy in the reviews provided by hosts Heidi Hammond, Joni Kruesner and Gail Nordstrom. I know I'll be checking out more than a few of these titles and finding out for myself what make these selections great books for kids.

After the morning's first session I regrouped with my two co-workers. We decided to check out the exhibit hall. It was great to see the Edmund Fitzgerald hall packed with all of the agencies and organizations that lend support to libraries and meet some of the people behind the scenes. (Minnesota Historical Society, Lerner Publishing, Minitex, Baker and Taylor, and many, many more.) Some I had not even known of before today. We easily spent an hour perusing the exhibit's wares. And what's not to love about leaving an exhibit fully armed with a year's supply of pens, post-it notes, a little dental floss and candy? Unfortunately, we missed out on the coveted cat bags.

Dessert always makes life's little disappointments a bit more palatable so onward we went, minus our cat bags, to the dessert keynote with Dr. Scott Nicholson, Associate Profession and Program Director for the Masters of Science in Library and Information Science, Syracuse University. I liked his ideas. Let's have a little fun in libraries with gaming! We're not talking about back-room gambling or exclusive intellectual games, but fun, creative play. Imagine creating stories between a toddler and a senior citizen. Maybe you and a group of friends can create an entirely new board game. Sure, you may not get rich but you'll have fun conjuring new worlds with friends or people you might not even know. Imagine that, it could be fun,. I think it's a wonderful idea.

Some might argue that technology is robbing us of our imaginations. it was quite obvious- as seen by the numbers of participants quickly filling the room for my next session- that people are excited. By the time the session was scheduled to begin (E-books: What's All the Excitement About?) there was standing room only. More chairs were brought in and still there were people pressed towards the door. The panelists held a broad view of technology, E-books specifically. Some absolutely love them, other, not so much. What will become of the beloved physical book? How do we handle the ever growing number of devices and the technological questions that come with them? There were possibly more questions than answers but it is a thought provoking topic by its very nature. I thought the panelists were excellent and a perfect balance of those who proceed cautiously and those who go boldly. I'm still not sure which way I'm going.

That is why, though I hadn't considered it at the time, I was very glad that my last session of the day was Growing Readers: Bringing Libraries, Nature, and Families Together. Nature takes the edge off. Nicole Brinkman and Jennifer Dietrich are children's librarians at Ramsey County. They are mothers of young children who love sharing the natural world with their children and others. Sadly, they have also witnessed the increasing difficulties that children who are not exposed to nature experience. From stress, lack of creativity, difficulty with social skills, nature deficit is an increasing social ill. By creating a garden oasis in an urban area on the grounds of Ramsey County Library, they have provided a place where children can fully engage with nature. At the same time, they can utilize and integrate the the resources of the library with this garden space. As they demonstrated, the two work together beautifully. The children can explore the garden they helped design. Books and resources inside the library help them identify what's happening in 'their' world outside. Whether it is bugs, plants or vegetables they can turn into food, flowers they can draw and color, stones they can turn with their parents or grandparents, it is an experience outside of themselves. That the library is a place where they are finding this place seems perfectly natural.

As we go forward, keeping simple values integrated with the complexities of future demands might be what keeps libraries thriving well into the future.